John gray



J. AND J G. GRAY.

GYROSTATIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 7. 1919- 1,313,532.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GRAY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, AND JAMES GORDON GRAY, OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.

GYROSTATIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Divided and this application filed July 7,

1919. Serial No. 309,147.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN GRAY and JAMES GORDON GRAY, subjects of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at London, England, and Glasgow, Scotland, respectively, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gyrostatic Apparatus, of which the .following is a specificatlon.

This invention relates to improvements in gyrostatic apparatus for stabilizing purposes.

Apparatus accordlng to the nvention comprises a fly-whecl rotating at high speed and a slowly rotating erecting device, the fly-wheel and erecting device being both rotatable around a normally substantially vertical axis, a common carrier for the fly-wheel and erecting device, and a pendulum member by which the carrier is pendulously supported.

The erecting device may comprlse conveniently a propelling element and balls, as described in the specification of our co-pending application No. 259,261.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation showing an arrangement for stabilizing a ship. Fig. 2 is a diagrannnatic elevation showing an arrangement for stabilizing a compound pendulum on which may be mounted instruments of precision.

Referring to Fig. '1, a massive fly-wheel 39 is carried in bearings which are normally vertical arranged in a frame 40, as is also an erecting device 41. The fiy-wheel 39 rotates at high speed, and the ereotor 41 at low speed, the direction of rotation being the same for both. The frame 40 is pivoted at 42, 42 to uprights 43 which are carried by the ship 44. The system composed of the frame 40, the fly-wheel 39 and the ereotor 41 is mounted on the pivots 42, 42 so as to possess a considerable amount of gravitational stability. The ship forms a pendulum, and the pivoted system forms a pendulum within this pendulum. The fly-wheel 39 gives to the ship a long period of roll, and

. the action of the ereotor 41 is to damp out oscillations should these arise. If the ship become inclined, the fly-wheel 39 is caused to process. There is a communication of energy between the ship and the gyroscope,

which energy is dissipated in heat in the ereotor.

If the ereotor 41 be rotated slowly in the direction of spin of the fiy-wheel 39, the ship is stabilized into the vertical. If the ereotor be rotated slowly in the direction opposite to that in which the fly-wheel 39 is spinning, the eifect is to cause the ship to oscillate to and fro in increasing amplitude. Such an arrangement is of importance in connection with ice-breaking ships.

In Fig. 2 is shown the invention applied to stabilize a compound pendulum on which may be carried instruments of precision. The fly-wheel 45 and the erecting device 46 are mounted on vertical bearings carried by a carrier or frame 47,- and this frame 47 is mounted on pivots or trunnions 48, 48 which are carried by the pendulum 49. The pendulum 49 is pivoted to a part of the ship or other moving body at 50. When the flywheel is rotating rapidly, the period of the pendulum 49 becomes very great, and when the ereotor 46 is rotating slowly in the direction of spin of the fly-wheel 45, the gyroscope and pendulum are stabilized into the vertical. If the axis of the pivot 50 lie fore and aft on the ship on which the device is mounted, the pendulum 49 is stabilized against rolling motions of the ship; if the pivot. 50 lie athw-art the ship, the pendulum is stabilized against pitching motions of the ship.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

As shown in the drawing, the pendulum A 49 is arranged to rock on an axis transverse to the pivotal axis 48, 48- of the carrier or frame 47 and in intersecting relation with the normally substantially vertical axis of rotation of the fly-wheel 45 and erecting device 46.

We claim 1'. The herein described gyrostatic device comprising, in combination, a fly-wheel and an erecting device both rotatable around a normally substantially vertical axis, a com mon carrier for said fly-wheel and erecting device, and a pendulum member by which said carrier is pendulously supported.

2. The herein described gyrostatic device comprising, in combination, a fly-wheel and an erecting device both rotatable around a normally substantially vertical axis, a common carrier for said fly-wheel and erecting device, and a pendulum to which said carnames to this specification in the presence of rier is pivoted, said pendulum being mounttwo subscribing witnesses.

ed to oscillate on an axis transverse to the JOHN GRAY.

pivotal ads of said carrier and in inter- JAMES GORDON GRAY. 5 secting relation with said substantially ver- Witnesses:

tical axis. KATE FOTEERINGHAM,

In testimony whereof we have signed our ISABEL RoLLo. 

